This can have devastating consequences for your career. The report explains, "Perceptions of low competence, in turn, undermined information sharing."

Chances are, if you are including a smiley face in an email, the last thing you want is for your co-workers to think that you are so inadequate that they chose not to share information with you.

Melissa Llarena, CEO and founder of Career Outcomes Matter

Melissa Llarena

Formal workplace culture usually discourages these types of electronic displays of emotion. "The adverse effects of smiley use are moderated by the formality of the social context and mediated by perceptions of message appropriateness," argues the study.

Avoiding smiley faces and emojis is particularly important when communicating with someone who ranks above you. "If you are emailing someone who is more senior than yourself then yes, stay away from them," says Llarena.

Following these rules can help you build a professional and competent reputation she says. "If you want to gain responsibilities and grow professionally, then show up professionally online and offline when it comes to workplace interactions."

While you should continue to spread joy around the office and show off your pearly whites in person, hold off from sending smiley faces over email.